laugh. His hand was clenched. "You women!"
he said, and for some reason Olga felt overwhelmingly foolish.

"Well, finish!" he commanded. "No half-measures, mind! Just the whole
truth!"

And Olga stumbled on. She repeated with quivering lips Hunt-Goring's
story of the taint in Violet's blood, of the tragedy that had preceded
her birth.

"Nick," she said, turning piteous eyes upon his face, "I know it must be
partly true, but do you think it is really quite as bad as that? I
believed it at the time. But--but--perhaps--"

He shook his head. "It's true," he said briefly.

"True that she is going--mad? Oh, Nick--Nick!"

He slipped his arm around her. "And the devil told her, did he?"

She leaned her forehead on his shoulder in an agony of quivering
recollection. "Because I wouldn't listen to him--because--because--"

"Pass on," said Nick. "He told her. What happened?"

But she could not tell him. "It was too dreadful--too dreadful!" she
moaned.

"Where is she now?" he pursued. "You can tell me that anyhow."

"She has gone to Mrs. Briggs," Olga whispered. "She said she would know
everything. She had been her nurse from the beginning. She--she is in a
terrible state, Nick. I only came away to tell you. I thought you would
be getting anxious, or I wouldn't have left her. I ran up the cliff
path. It was quickest."

"We will go back to her in the motor," Nick said.

He got to his feet, his arm still about her, raising her also.

"Come now!" he said. "Pull yourself together, kiddie! You will need all
the strength you can muster. Come inside and have a drain of brandy
before we start!"

He led her within. She was shivering as one with an ague, but she made
desperate efforts to control herself.

Nick was exceedingly matter-of-fact. There was never anything tragic
about him. He made her drink some brandy and water, and while she did so
he scribbled a brief note.

"I will send off my own man in the motor with this to Max," he said. "He
had better come."

Olga looked up sharply. "It's no manner of use sending for him, Nick.
She vows she will never see him again."

"We will have him all the same," said Nick. "He is the man for the job."

He went off and despatched his message, and then, returning, went out
with her to the motor in which they had arrived so gaily but a few hours
before.

"Now go steady, my chicken!" he said, as he got in beside her. "It
wouldn't serve anyone's turn to have a spill at this junct